Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris managed to secure a visit from the Government Planning Minister Brandon Lewis to talk about Government policy on Green Belt the creation of New Local Plans.

Castle Point Borough Council are currently in the process of deciding upon how much new housing they want and where it should go in their own local plan.

In a forty-five minute meeting, in which representatives from all the local Green Belt groups were invited, the Planning Minister reaffirmed that councils do not have to release Green Belt  in their local plans if their evidence supports this. Plans may be found sound even though  they do not meet their housing need in full, provided the council can show that this was because of the need to  protect the Green Belt in line with policy in the National Planning Policy Framework.  He also confirmed that both flooding and constraints on local infrastructure can be argued as constraints on the level of housing needed for an area and answered questions on a wide range of planning policy.

The Minister said:

"This Government has radically reformed the planning system to put power back into the hands of local people, so they can have a say over how their area is developed.

"In particular, by placing local plans at the heart of the system, councils have the power to protect their Green Belt and take account of all local environmental issues, while at the same time working to meet their local housing need.

"So I would urge Castle Point Borough Council to get on and put their local plan in place as the best way to deliver the homes local people want and need, while maintaining strong protections for their local Green Belt."

Benfleet resident Graham Sayer, who represented the Jotmans Farm Green Belt group at the meeting said:

"This was a fantastic opportunity and we cannot thank Rebecca enough for setting it up. The Minister said it himself that councils have the power to protect their Green Belt in their local plans, we just need everyone in Castle Point to tell their councillor to use the government planning guidance to do just that before it is too late!"

Rebecca Harris MP said:

"I am very pleased I managed to get the Planning Minister come to Castle Point and spell out exactly what the Government guidance is to our local Green Belt preservation groups in person. Protecting our borough's treasured virgin Green Belt is one of my top concerns and I am grateful that he gave up his time to come down, see some of it, and meet the people who are fighting to save it from development."